1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to repair of bodily tissue in vivo and, more particularly, to method and apparatus for attaching soft tissue to bone during arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and to a bioabsorbable tack therefor.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In open surgery a large incision is required to gain access to a surgical site causing increased trauma, long periods of immobilization and, consequently, long periods of rehabilitation and recovery. The disadvantages of open surgery ar particularly troublesome in joint surgery, or arthrotomies, and more particularly in reattaching torn or severed soft tissue, such as ligaments or muscles, to bone in the shoulder.
Previous systems employed to reattach separated tissue to bone have utilized metal screw and washer combinations or metal staples. The use of metal fasteners necessitates surgical procedures for fastener insertion and in some cases for fastener removal. Other disadvantages from the use of prior art fasteners are that threaded screws have a propensity to back out from their implantation position, the screw heads and washers protrude from the attachment site creating a possible source of irritation to tissue in the body, and staples must necessarily be so sharp that they do not hold or anchor well in the bone and are subject to disengagement and bending.